Article / Archive
Michael Kan
January 28, 2025
Does Facebook hate Linux? The social media site has been upsetting Linux fans for mysteriously taking down user posts mentioning the OS.
The problem came to light when DistroWatch, a site that covers the Linux ecosystem, brought up how the mysterious Facebook ban has been stymying discussion about the open-source OS.
“We've been hearing all week from readers who say they can no longer post about Linux on Facebook or share links to DistroWatch. Some people have reported their accounts have been locked or limited for posting about Linux,” the site wrote in Monday's newsletter.
“I just tried mentioning distrowatch on Facebook in Australia and it throws an error and won’t let me post. Wow,” wrote one user on Reddit last week.
A Facebook screenshot from DistroWatch says the deleted posts "may facilitate the sharing, creation or hosting of malicious software."
DistroWatch reached out to Facebook. But initially, the company refused to relent. “I've tried to appeal the ban and was told the next day that Linux-related material is staying on the cybersecurity filter. My Facebook account was also locked for my efforts,” DistroWatch wrote.
“The sad irony here is that Facebook runs much of its infrastructure on Linux and often posts job ads looking for Linux developers,” DistroWatch added.
It looks like the company has since reversed course. Today, Meta told PCMag: “This enforcement was in error and has since been addressed. Discussions of Linux are allowed on our services."
On Mastodon, DistroWatch says: "I've been told, but have been unable to confirm, that Facebook has lifted the ban on posting links to DistroWatch. (Which is great.) My personal FB account is still locked for trying to post a link to DistroWatch, but it seems like all the appeals/complaints worked."
Meta didn’t say what caused the crackdown in the first place. But the company has been revamping some of its content moderation and plans to replace its fact-checking methodology with a user-driven Community Notes, similar to X. “We’re also going to change how we enforce our policies to reduce the kind of mistakes that account for the vast majority of the censorship on our platforms,” the company said earlier this month, in another irony.
“Up until now, we have been using automated systems to scan for all policy violations, but this has resulted in too many mistakes and too much content being censored that shouldn’t have been,” Meta added in the same post.
Michael Kan
January 28, 2025
Does Facebook hate Linux? The social media site has been upsetting Linux fans for mysteriously taking down user posts mentioning the OS.
The problem came to light when DistroWatch, a site that covers the Linux ecosystem, brought up how the mysterious Facebook ban has been stymying discussion about the open-source OS.
“We've been hearing all week from readers who say they can no longer post about Linux on Facebook or share links to DistroWatch. Some people have reported their accounts have been locked or limited for posting about Linux,” the site wrote in Monday's newsletter.
“I just tried mentioning distrowatch on Facebook in Australia and it throws an error and won’t let me post. Wow,” wrote one user on Reddit last week.
A Facebook screenshot from DistroWatch says the deleted posts "may facilitate the sharing, creation or hosting of malicious software."
DistroWatch reached out to Facebook. But initially, the company refused to relent. “I've tried to appeal the ban and was told the next day that Linux-related material is staying on the cybersecurity filter. My Facebook account was also locked for my efforts,” DistroWatch wrote.
“The sad irony here is that Facebook runs much of its infrastructure on Linux and often posts job ads looking for Linux developers,” DistroWatch added.
It looks like the company has since reversed course. Today, Meta told PCMag: “This enforcement was in error and has since been addressed. Discussions of Linux are allowed on our services."
On Mastodon, DistroWatch says: "I've been told, but have been unable to confirm, that Facebook has lifted the ban on posting links to DistroWatch. (Which is great.) My personal FB account is still locked for trying to post a link to DistroWatch, but it seems like all the appeals/complaints worked."
Meta didn’t say what caused the crackdown in the first place. But the company has been revamping some of its content moderation and plans to replace its fact-checking methodology with a user-driven Community Notes, similar to X. “We’re also going to change how we enforce our policies to reduce the kind of mistakes that account for the vast majority of the censorship on our platforms,” the company said earlier this month, in another irony.
“Up until now, we have been using automated systems to scan for all policy violations, but this has resulted in too many mistakes and too much content being censored that shouldn’t have been,” Meta added in the same post.
